Hundreds of supporters of Congress leader and MLA, Vinay Kulkarni, gathered in Dharwad for a silent protest march. Kulkarni was recently sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda. The supporters, along with local Congress leaders, alleged a political conspiracy against Kulkarni.
The protest march, which started at Kala Bhavan, saw participants wearing black T-shirts and bands as a mark of protest. Moving from Kala Bhavan to the KCC Bank, the demonstration involved party workers and followers. Organizers stated that the protest aimed to denounce what they perceived as a political conspiracy against Kulkarni, claiming he is being made a scapegoat.
Despite Kulkarni’s life imprisonment sentence, his supporters maintain that he is unjustly targeted. The protest witnessed a strong turnout of party workers and loyalists who gathered before the march began. In a separate incident, a special court in Bengaluru sentenced Kulkarni and 16 others to life imprisonment and imposed fines for criminal conspiracy and the murder of BJP leader Yogeshgowda Goundar in 2016.
The case, dating back to 2016, involved Kulkarni as accused number 15 and was transferred to the CBI by the state government. During the allegations, Kulkarni held ministerial positions. The victim, Yogesh Gowda, was murdered by a group of attackers in Dharwad city after a political rivalry with Kulkarni turned violent. Kulkarni was arrested in 2020, released on bail in 2021, but had his bail revoked for allegedly influencing witnesses.
Following the bail cancellation, Kulkarni surrendered and was released on bail again. Currently serving as the Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, Kulkarni’s case continues to draw attention.
